Different Paths By: Julia and Lauren Part 3 By: Julia Comments to frostyu@geocities.com and FiddlerITW@AOL.com "Good morning Chief!" Scott called cheerily as he entered Engineering the next morning. B'Elanna turned around. She really didn't know what to say to Scott, so she just grinned. He laughed and sat down at his console. Lt. Carey walked over to him, and sat down beside him, being very nonchalant about the entire thing. "So, you and B'Elanna...?" he said, not looking up from his PADD. Scott shook his head. "Don't start Joe, or should I start poking around what you've been doing with Sam?" Joe blushed to his hair roots at that comment. Scott smiled. "You tell me what's up with you, and then maybe I'll tell. I don't want to be killed by my superior though." B'Elanna looked over at them, even though she had a twinkle in her eye, Scott and Joe knew to quiet down. Carey left, shaking his head. Engineering was quiet for a few minutes. "Lt.? There is a small fluctuation in Jefferies Tubes 30, on Deck 4. It looks like another gel pack." Carey stood up and walked over to B'Elanna's station, handing her the PADD. "You and Nicoletti go and shut that pack off." "I would but you asked me to complete the analysis of the plasma conduit coils. Nicoletti is assisting me with that." B'Elanna sighed and looked around the short-handed Engineering. She knew Carey was just making excuses to get Scott and her together. "Ensign Meherrit, get a tool kit." Scott stood up and took his tool kit from under his station. "You have Engineering, Carey." B'Elanna called over her shoulder. * Scott and B'Elanna crawled beside, their hands briefly touching at times. B'Elanna looked over at Scott just as he looked over at her and both smiled. B'Elanna stopped and sat back. "Here." Scott helped her take the panel off the wall and he took out his tricorder. They didn't say anything for a few seconds. B'Elanna hit her comm badge. "Torres to bridge." On the bridge, Tom turned his head at B'Elanna's voice. Janeway hit her comm system on her chair. "Bridge here, B'Elanna, what is it?" "The gel pack in Jefferies Tube 30 is fluctuating. I'm going to have to shut it off until I can repair it." "Understood B'Elanna. Bridge out." * Seven of Nine entered Engineering, ignoring everyone. She looked around for Torres but couldn't find her. "Ensign Carey, where is Lt. Torres?" Carey looked up. "She's in a Jefferies Tube shutting off a gel pack. She should be back in awhile." "That is not acceptable." Seven turned and walked out of Engineering. A short time later, she was crawling through the Jefferies Tubes. Stopping, she input a control into the computer interface. Nothing happened. Seven's brow furrowed. She tried again. Opening the locker overhead, she took out the compressor. Pressing it onto the door, she pressed down the handle and the door slid back. Seven was expecting to see Lt. Torres working on the gel pack, like Lt. Carey said she was. That's why she was a bit confused to see B'Elanna and Meherrit not paying any attention at all to it. They had their arms around each other, and both of their uniforms were rumpled. Their lips were together, in the same way that Seven had seen Lt. Paris and Torres. Meherrit's hair was down, and falling in his face. Neither one of them noticed Seven enter the Jeffries Tube. "Lieutenant, Ensign." Seven acknowledged them. Both of them jumped when they heard her voice, and turned wide-eyed in her direction. "What in the hell are you doing in here?" B'Elanna exclaimed. Seven looked at her unfazed by the outburst. "I was told you were in here repairing a gel pack. I wished to speak with you." she answered. B'Elanna looked at Scott, who was tying his hair back, trying not to make any eye contact with Seven, and she turned back to the Borg. "What did you need to talk to me about?" she asked. "You are diverting power away from the Astrometrics Lab." Seven replied, "I do not understand why you were in here with Ensign Meherrit when Lt. Carey informed me that you were making repairs. This is unacceptable behavior for a senior officer." B'Elanna grabbed Seven by the arm, and took her a few feet away from where Scott was. "I know this may be hard for you to understand, but you have to promise me not to tell anyone about what you saw in here, especially Tom. Do you understand?" "I understand, lieutenant." Seven said. She turned around and left the Jefferies Tube. Scott watched her go and then tentatively looked over at B'Elanna. She was still glaring at Seven's retreating back and nearly screamed as Scott laid a hand on her shoulder. She looked back at him. "Let's just hope she doesn't tell..." * The next morning, B'Elanna was running late. She couldn't shake the feeling that Seven would tell someone. *Damnit, why am I always got in those positions?* She demanded of herself as she stood in front of the mirror, brushing her hair. *Because you get yourself into them.* Her image seemed to answer. "I wasn't asking you!" B'Elanna retorted but then realized she was just talking to herself. "I need more sleep..." She put the brush back on the shelf and left her quarters for the senior staff meeting. Slipping in about a minute before it started, B'Elanna settled down in a chair, sitting on Chakotay's right. Kim sat down beside her a few moments later and gave her a smile. "Morning StarFleet!" B'Elanna gave him a weak smile. "Morning, Harry. Your awfully perky this morning." "And your awfully grumpy this morning. Breakfast after the meeting?" "Sure." Janeway entered then, followed by Seven. B'Elanna followed Seven with her eyes but Seven took no notice. She sat down next to Harry, who turned away from B'Elanna to talk to her. B'Elanna looked up and met Tom's gaze but quickly looked away. Janeway stood up from her chair and looked around the room. "Attention please." The room quieted. "Thank you. B'Elanna, report on the status of the gel packs." "I had to shut down the one in Jefferies Tube 30. The Doc is looking at it now." Janeway nodded. "Good. Seven, report on Astrometrics." Seven stood up and raised her PADD. "Yesterday, at approximately 16:00 hours, I noticed a small fluctuation in the Astrometrics power. I proceeded to investigate the occurrence and traced it to Jefferies Tube 30. There, I found Lt. Torres and Ensign Meherrit involved in what I could see as the beginning of human mating practices. Leaving them, I proceeded to the access point in Jefferies Tube 30 to repair the power glitch." Seven sat down again. B'Elanna glared at Seven, her mouth slightly open before looking down at her hands in her lap, dinging a nail into her wrist to hold her temper. Tom looked at Seven. "Could you repeat that phrase about Lt. Torres, please, Seven?" Janeway held up her hand. "There is no need for that Tom." Tuvok raised an eyebrow. "It was a simple question, captain." Chakotay spoke up. "And its not really any of our concern." He placed his hand closer to B'Elanna's. "Discussion closed." Janeway said firmly. B'Elanna could feel Chakotay and Harry both move a little closer to her. She looked up at Tom. His blue eyes were fixed on her, and he could see her eyes dart away and then back at him. Janeway talked for a few more minutes and then stood up. "Dismissed." * Scott got off his shift later that day and headed towards the Mess Hall to eat B'Elanna for lunch. She hadn't been very upset after Seven catching them, at least not mad at him. Coming around the corner, he ran smack into someone. Jumping back, Scott looked up. "Excuse me, Lt. Paris. I should've watched where I was going." Tom glared at Meherrit. "Yeah, I guess you should have. What the hell are you doing to B'Elanna?" Scott looked confused. "What do you mean?" "I mean, getting her in trouble with the captain? That thing in the Jefferies Tubes?" "That was an accident—" "Accidents like that shouldn't happen, Mister Meherrit." Scott looked over Tom's shoulder and saw a few people standing there, looking at them. "With all due respect, *sir* I don't think my personal involvement is any of your concern." "Well, I'm making it my concern." "Scott? What's going on here." Scott turned to see B'Elanna standing there. She was dressed comfortably in civilian clothes and glaring at both Tom and himself. "This is nothing concerning you, B'Elanna." Tom said quickly. B'Elanna looked surprised. "Well, let's see. I come along and see my ex-boyfriend chewing out my boyfriend, you know, Tom, I do believe something is concerning me. Don't look so surprised, he is my boyfriend, got it?" Taking Scott's hand she pushed past Tom and walked into the Mess Hall, ignoring the stares from surrounding crew members.